meadow, hedge and small wood

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some initial notes when we arrived jan 2025 including copy/pastes from web trawling etc

grazing notes

questions

Water supply?
How many sheep/cattle and time period grazing?

1:100 days for cattle 1:23 days Sheep recovery of grass

Section off part of field for dog/protect rattle plugs etc - do you have any spare fencing?

We want better soil quality, biodiversity, better drainage and water retention

Don’t want muck spreading if we can mob graze

who cut hedges in jan ? which hedges? can we come and see your setup too?

Research has shown that grazing at 9-12cm had more than twice the number of larger insects than grazing at 6-9cm.
https://farmwildlife.info/how-to-do-it/livestock-enhancing-improved-grassland/

Consider introducing seeds in phases as some plant species are much easier to establish than others. For example, yellow rattle could be used initially to reduce the vigour of grasses for a later introduction of wildflower seed.

https://farmwildlife.info/how-to-do-it/flower-rich-habitats/livestock-wildflower-rich-grassland-restoration/

The priority, and also the easiest and most effective option is to work on existing grasslands that have lost some of their plant diversity but still retain a number of native grasses and flowers. Small changes to existing grazing or cutting management may be all that is needed.  For example allowing existing plants to flower and seed, and providing small areas of bare ground (by cattle grazing or chain harrowing) for seed germination may increase the abundance of wildflowers. Using targeted grazing to tackle rank areas and grass dominance can also be effective.

we need to test now

https://www.soilassociation.org/farmers-growers/low-input-farming-advice/soil-health/four-free-ways-you-can-test-your-soil-today/

https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/the-soil-health-scorecard


1/we want to find out what we have
what kind of grasses & plants
previous short or semi intensive grazing may have suppressed certain grasses plants that may appear? — see below

2/we want to improve the soil (stewardship)
increase bio-diversity, insect life , pollinators , butterflies etc

(without ploughing / reseeding)

but using an initial smallish area (<¼ acre probably fenced off) where we will plug with yellow rattle (2x £50 )

the rest of the field (except the bottom area — that can be grazed autumn& winter)) can be early mob grazed 1-2 days then left for 21 days or ideally a month)

3/ we understand you are busy/that it is your livelihood
that moving the sheep or cattle is time consuming
however there would be no charge
and in future years there would be a richer fodder

+ we all perhaps will see more insects flowers birds etc

already we have secured a grant for planting a hedge (and trees -wild cherry)next autumn/winter to go along the line of the barbed wire fence separating the bottom end of the field — the wet area!

=====4/we wanted to avoid muck spreading as i feel there is already enough of that happening round here! ++ that means less work for you

in future years we can collect our own yellow rattle seed and spread it to more of the field)

after a cattle trample in a wettish early spring 1 or 2 years in ==we could then perhaps sow some extra meadow seed (as we suspect we may be variety sparse)

for testing see
https://www.soilassociation.org/farmers-growers/low-input-farming-advice/soil-health/four-free-ways-you-can-test-your-soil-today/

Get yourself a spade (or a mole)!
It’s the best investment you will ever make. Take it into the field and use it to dig a hole. Look at how your soil is structured – whether it breaks apart easily or takes more effort. Look at what your plant roots are doing and whether the soil is holding water.
Count your worms
Our soils are alive and comprise of millions of different species within them most of which are impossible to see. Worms are a good indicator species – as if you have lots of worms – your soil will be in good biological condition!  Its not just quantity – you can also look at the types of worm that you have
Complete a slake test
Choose a field and take a sample of soil from 10cm below the surface. Dry it out on a windowsill or airing cupboard for up to 2 days. From the sample, remove an aggregate (a small clump), about the size of a marble. Drop it in a glass of clean water. The indication is that the longer it remains undissolved, intact, the more carbon it contains. You can repeat this across the farm, making note of where and when you sample. Consistency is key.
Complete an infiltration test
The ultimate aim is to get your soil to act as a sponge. When your soils are in good health they will hold water and release it for crop growth. Get an amount of water and look at how long it takes for the water to infiltrate into the soil. If the water sits on the surface – this can indicate compaction.
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https://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/beef/what-is-holistic-grazing-and-what-are-the-benefits

Mimicking the natural behaviour of herds and wildlife and the way they graze land could help farmers increase their grass productivity by up to 300% without expensive inputs and reverse climate change.

In practice, animals move from paddock to paddock mirroring the natural herding behaviour of animals. Grazing involves longer rotations of ideally 30+ days, which gives grass time to fully recover before being regrazed.
The grass is grazed for short periods and longer grass is trampled, incorporating organic matter into the ground. The manure is also spread more evenly.
It is, however, different from mob and rotational grazing, as those systems don’t take in to account the time needed for certain species of grass to fully regenerate, wildlife habitats and the water, mineral and energy cycles (see table below).
What are the benefits?
Leaving the grass to rest for longer periods builds resilience in the soil. More energy is harnessed from photosynthesis, creating a stronger and deeper root system.
This improves water infiltration and storage capacity, reducing flooding as well as making the grass more drought-tolerant.


 “Well-managed livestock are earth’s natural regenerators. When you regenerate soil, the entire ecosystem works more effectively. Wealth starts with the soil,” he said.
Mrs Cooke said farmers can increase the amount of fresh grass per acre from 635kg to 2721kg by switching from set stocking to holistic grazing.
She said: “Grass is not adapted to be set stocked. If plants are severely grazed, they shed their roots as the plant is not getting as much energy from photosynthesis.”
https://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/beef/what-is-holistic-grazing-and-what-are-the-benefits

Key points to consider (from sue everett’s meadow page)
How big is it?
Is the meadow a field? Then you need grazing animals and, ideally, a means of mowing and taking off the ‘hay’.
Is the meadow part of your garden? You will need to be able to cut the vegetation several times and remove it after it has been cut in the summer.
What’s been done before?
Having a knowledge and understanding of the past management history will help you to work out what may need to be done. For example, fields that have been agriculturally improved (fertilised, weedkilled and/or resown with agricultural grass varieties) may have no viable seed bank of either wild flowers or grasses, and seed-rich green hay or other suitable native seed may need to be introduced. However, if it’s very fertile, this could make restoration more difficult and lengthy.
What is the existing wildlife value?
Before embarking on what could be quite drastic interventions make sure you understand if there is any existing wildlife value to the land. This could be for wild flowers, breeding birds, amphibians and reptiles and wild flora. What you find may dictate what you decide to do, where and when. Seek advice from someone who can help you with this, such as a local ecologist or the local wildlife trust may help you.
What’s growing now?
Armed with a good wild flower book (or assisted by a botanist from Moor Meadows) make a list of the grasses and wild flowers that are present, ideally in late June. Try using the simple grassland survey approach published by Natural England in the Higher Level Stewardship Farm Environment Plan (FEP) Manual (Section 2.5, p.55) to identify whether the grassland is already species-rich, semi-improved or improved.
If the grassland has been kept very short: Sometimes there’s lots of wild plants, but they’ve just got suppressed by overgrazing or frequent mowing. Just relaxing either for a window of 6-8 weeks may reveal all sorts of goodies. If it’s your lawn, then just slacking off the mowing for this time might be all you need to do, before returning to your routine mowing – if lots of flowers suddenly appear, there’s not much to do other than get the grazing and mowing right. If there are few flowers, then the grassland may need more help to recover. Many agricultural fields come into this category, having been “improved” for farming – cultivated and re-seeded or the grassland sprayed with weedkillers or treated with fertilisers – activities which may have wiped out the original diversity of wild plants and impoverished the seed bank.
If the grassland hasn’t been grazed or mown, or is tussocky, weedy or is becoming invaded by bramble or bracken: The likelihood is that many wild flowers have been shaded out by taller grasses and other species. The immediate priority will be to restore suitable grazing and/or mowing, to reduce the quantity of tussocky vegetation. Topping rush, tussocky grass and bracken, and using mattocks to get out bramble, may be necessary. Creeping Thistle can be controlled by pulling but larger stands may need to be spot-treated with herbicide. It is important to understand that most herbicides will cause collateral damage to a range of wild flowers – a quad-bike mounted boom spray if used is likely to kill many species, not just thistles. However, extreme weediness may need extreme measures; if there’s no meadow flowers, complete destruction of the existing grassland may need to be considered. This normally involves herbicide treatment of the existing sward, followed by a repeat treatment or cultivation, before re-seeding with a suitable seed mix. Weeds germinating from the seedbank after cultivation will also need herbicide treatment prior to seed introduction.
What’s your soil and the land characteristics?
It can be worth testing the soil – if it’s high in nitrogen and phosphate, then restoration will take time and be more challenging. The soil type and pH will vary depending on the underlying geology and location in the landscape. Identifying the land capability and characteristics will dictate what you will do and what might be achieved. For example, north-facing slopes will not necessarily ever be flower-rich. There will be different outcomes expected and possible for fields on wet ground, well-drained limestone or sandy soils. Soils high in nitrogen or phosphate may also be more challenging to restore and for these it is usually advisable to repeatedly crop off the grass, while applying no fertilisers, for at least five years before embarking on any further action.
from the excellent Sue Everett https://moormeadows.org.uk/information/meadow-creation-and-management/how-to-restore-a-meadow/

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mob grazing or tall grass grazing

from Grassland guide: Going back to basics with mob grazing
http://www.farmersguardian.com/4117778

Another regenerative grazing strategy which is potentially the next step after rotational grazing in terms of soil health, is mob grazing.
AHDB's senior knowledge exchange manager and national specialist in grass forage, Katie Evans says mob grazing which is sometimes referred to as tall grass grazing, is ultimately where a high density of livestock is grazed over a short period of time, coupled with long rest periods.  
The key difference from rotational grazing is that mob grazing includes longer rest periods and higher grass covers, says Ms Evans. She explains one of the key benefits of implementing a mob grazing system is the improvement in soil structure which helps to build resilience in periods of dry or wet weather, due to the deep rooting structure of the swards.  
Click here to read the first part of our grassland guide on understanding soil health.
The other benefit from a soil perspective is the storage of sugars in the roots which builds soil carbon and improves organic matter. Ms Evans says: "It is down to soil health as to why you would practice this type of grazing, to begin improving soil structures." 
While mob grazing may sound very similar to rotational grazing, Ms Evans says grass covers will be much higher than in a rotational system, as well as a difference in sward varieties.

In a mob grazing system, multi-species swards and herbal leys are usually used over permanent pastures due to their rooting systems and plant diversity.  
Looking after the livestock both above and below ground is a key element of mob grazing, which is why the approach graze a third, trample a third and leave a third is a founding principle of the system.
In practice the principle refers to livestock grazing a third of the paddock, trampling a third of the grass cover into the soil and leaving a third of the cover standing.
"By trampling a third of the grass cover it helps to feed the microorganisms in the soil, while increasing the soil's organic matter content and structure," says Ms Evans.  
Click here to read the second part of our grassland guide on optimising muck and fertiliser use. 
She explains during a drought period leaving a third of the sward and trampling a third is very beneficial as it gives the soil protection to retain moisture more easily.
Additionally, by leaving a third of the sward untouched, the leaves act as solar panels capturing the energy and allowing grass regrowth and regeneration to begin sooner. 
When looking to implement a mob grazing system, Ms Evans says there are no hard and fast rules and no one size fits all.
As grass covers and livestock demands differ from farm to farm, an understanding of each farm's paddock sizes, livestock requirements and grass growth rates is required before making decisions on paddock numbers, group sizes and grazing times.  
However, it is common with mob grazing that livestock are run as bigger groups, compared to rotational grazing which are split up into multiple groups.
Ms Evans adds: "For example, in a mob system a herd of 100 suckler cows and calves run as one group, and the length of time they stay within the paddock would be dependent on their size, the paddock size and the pressure applied to the sward." 

from Grassland guide: Going back to basics with mob grazing
http://www.farmersguardian.com/4117778

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visit
https://meadows.plantlife.org.uk/3-maintaining-meadows/managing-a-flower-rich-pasture-with-grazing/mob-grazing-for-diversity/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLOjnx-L6bYUwysLggv0GsQ
https://moormeadows.org.uk/information/meadow-creation-and-management/how-to-restore-a-meadow/

https://forum.meadowmakersnetwork.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=290

https://meadows.plantlife.org.uk/3-maintaining-meadows/managing-a-flower-rich-pasture-with-grazing/mob-grazing-for-diversity/

https://www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/beef/what-is-holistic-grazing-and-what-are-the-benefits

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://farmwildlife.info/how-to-do-it/existing-wildlife-habitats/flower-rich-grassland/&ved=2ahUKEwjmn9TmqaKMAxWoXEEAHVRoEWwQFnoECCAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1egaXvIGyb-kzoW8gCgd81

www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk/advice-guidance/how-can-i-manage-my-meadow/managing-for-grassland-habitats

bumblebeeconservation.org/images/uploads/Resources/BBCT_Land_Factsheet_3_Managing_wildflower_pastures.pdf

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we’ve bought 50 yellow rattle plugs (£100)and some clay loving seeds and will get some plugs too another £100
we will need to fence this area off whatever we do so have also bought 50m of stock fencing etc

we intend using the seed from these plugs to repopulate more areas as years roll on..(eg after a late summer/autumn flash short trample graze esp with cattle (then sheep cld mob it if late autumn growth allowed?

Decide whether we fence off to new hedge now or later and agree to mob grazing when sword gets longer and then let it rest for at least 21 days depending on growth & weather

leave muck spreading for now but can decide on this as & when we need to

be best if the beasts do it for us!


sent a note about costs of fencing off the rattle

morning — we had our neighbour the farmer who had been using the field round y’day wondering what we are wanting to do going forwards — i told him how i wld like to find out what species we have and mentioned mob &holistic grazing increasing root depth soil health biodiversity insects b’flies plants & birds the usual ecological dream!! etc as he has his own pasture — sufficient i think — ideally we want to start immediately with a small area (c1/4-½ an acre) and plug it with some yellow rattle (can u send me the name of the local seed place you mentioned btw ) anyhow i wondered what it might cost for you to help me put up a temporary stock fence — squared wire not barbed —or even plastic - as stock wldn’t be in the field for long — 1-2days — probably about a 100-150 metres in a diagonal near the new gateway where we could protect the plugs until we can gather their seed (which i’d use to spread incrementally in future years) — thinking that if, as i suspect the field is variety sparse we may then be able to use meadow seed after a short cattle trample one spring in the future. wld welcome your thoughts if u get a chance — we have agreed to meet in a week and we will give them our neighbours a better idea of what we are aiming to do and whether they were interested — they’re so busy lambing at the moment and i think they are generally up against it time wise so don’t want to to ask or lumber them with stock moving but they wld get free use and in future years richer more diverse fodder —looking at increasing grazing heights (eg at 9-12cm u get more than twice the number of larger insects than grazing at 6-9cm.) 1-2 days grazing with at least 21 days pasture recovery — probably longer to begin with (if u were interested i cld send u my notes — we don’t want to plough and seed a meadow — we want to gently increase existing diversity — see what’s there at present and i told him i wanted to avoid muck spreading as i feel there is already enough of that happening round here —+ that means less work for him etc etc sry to hit u with all this — have a great sunny week and thx for your help on saturday

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£54.30 per 50 metres 50m L8/80/15 Stock Fencing Sheep Pig Cattle Livestock Fence Galvanised Wire Mesh

or with posts and wire etc & 50 metre roll (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/403782724418
15 of 1.65m x 75mm Posts (5FT3 Tall) £276

or

10 pack Round Fence Post | 1.65m x 75mm | 10 Pack
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/222987736511 £75

or

500 metre of electric wiring fencing https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266828059205
Reel Post 500m Electric Fence Kit Doblit QuickFence 120cm 3 Reel Fencing Post £214.99
+https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265786796057 Rutland ESS400 Electric Fence Solar Energiser 0.43J 2km 3w Panel Portable £210

or Gallagher S12 Solar Energiser Electric Fence 0.12J 1.2km 2.2w Panel Portable £169


or Gallagher SmartFence 2.0 - 100m All-in-One Mobile Fence

£274.00
£249,
00
Including taxes Excluding shipping
https://www.electricfence-online.co.uk/gallagher-smartfence-20-mobile-fence.html

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hay scenario (split reward)
future scenario where we had to make good an exorbitant land price

Rule of thumb is that one tonne of hay is equal to approx 40/45 bales or 4 to 5 round bales and one acre would yield approx two tonnes of hay.

(altho just 1 cut would hopeful be species rich & good quality)

some recent prices (2025 from https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/cost-of-hay-on-a-livery-yard.844002/

small bales only at I think around £5.50 a bale,
I pay £45 for a round of haylage from a farmer

£38 a lg bale
buying rounds at £50.

£35 a bale from a supplier we chose who delivered me two at a time.

£56 for 8ft bale

£4.50 a bale (small)

so for ease 40 x £5 = £200 an acre
field is 6.5 acre but 1.5 is sedge/rounds and reed

so approx £1000 for 1 cut of hay — less cut store time etc (then a quick 1-2 day trample/graze every 21 days o’er autumn winter— hopefully more variety spread —as seed spreads

cld perhps eventually yield 2 cuts £2000 less expense or share— years on (if some cash was needed)and then only £1000
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or land rental

The cost per acre for rough mixed grass grazing in my area on medium quality land is no more than €100 per annum. That’s with a water supply, boundary fencing, and gated access. For land without any fencing, decent grass/mostly weeds, no water supply, it’s not worth more than 50 per annum due to work/costs of making it suitable.
 

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